Fultz hasn’t pitched since June 22 due to a pulled muscle in his rib cage. He played catch Sunday and Monday and said he no longer feels the pain in his side that had lingered while he threw a simulated game July 12, the final day of the All-Star break.

“When I was throwing that sim game, I could still feel it, and it hampered me a bit,” Fultz said. “It wouldn’t have been fair to the team for me to go out there at 80 percent.”

Head trainer Lonnie Soloff said injuries similar to Fultz’s can often require up to six weeks to heal completely.

Fultz said he is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday and a simulated game Friday, then begin a minor-league rehabilitation assignment next week.

“It might only be one game, but I’m sure we’ll discuss that after the first one,” Fultz said.
Fultz was 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA in 32 appearances before going on the disabled list. His .153 average against was the best of any pitcher on the Cleveland staff.

COMING UP The series continues tonight at 7:05. C.C. Sabathia (13-4, 3.81) will start against Daisuke Matsuzaka (11-7, 3.99).

MAN OF MYSTERY The Indians offered another official explanation Monday for Triple-A Buffalo left-hander Aaron Laffey having been pulled from Sunday’s start after throwing 48 pitches. The Indians said the shortened outing was to allow him to start on three days of rest Thursday. Buffalo Manager Torey Lovullo, oddly, did not tell reporters who covered the game about that plan. The Indians originally said Laffey’s start was cut short due to his having thrown most of his warmup pitches for Saturday’s postponed game, but backed off on that stance Monday, citing a miscommunication between minor-league pitching coordinator Dave Miller and Indians pitching coach Carl Willis. A Bisons staffer also told reporters Sunday that Laffey’s locker had been cleaned out.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT The Indians did not take pregame batting practice after having arrived home from Texas at 5 a.m. Monday.

SRO The Indians announced that only standing room tickets are being sold for the Aug. 10 and Aug. 12 games against the New York Yankees and that a lottery will take place to disperse the remaining tickets for the middle game of that series. Fans can sign up for that lottery on the team’s Web site, www.indians.com.

A DAY OF REST Catcher Victor Martinez was given a day off Monday, a move Manager Eric Wedge said he knew would not be popular with fans. “If (fans) had their way, I’d pitch C.C. every day nine innings or 300 pitches, and Vic would catch every single day,” Wedge said. “I need to have the discipline not to do that.”

THE MAGIC NUMBER C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, who will start tonight and Wednesday, are both on pace for 20 wins. Cleveland’s last 20-game winner was Gaylord Perry in 1974. The last time the Indians had multiple 20-game winners was 1956 (Early Wynn, Herb Score, Bob Lemon).

ON THE FARM Single-A Kinston DH John Drennen was 2-for-4 and drove in three runs Sunday during a 9-3 victory over Frederick. The 33rd overall pick in the 2005 draft is batting .244 with a .319 on-base percentage, nine home runs and 56 RBIs in 91 games.

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